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Dukes & James Top 5: Pizza Places For Marc To Try In Atlanta

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Ok, so apparently the station polled you guys on Facebook for the best pizza places in town for Marc James, new co-host of Dukes & James, to try out and created a Top 5 list from that poll.

Well, this is the Dukes & James version of that Top 5 list. In other words, I, Carl Dukes, have put together my own list.

1) ANTICO :

From Atlanta.Eater.com: !n the grand scheme of things, Antico is not old— the Westside pizzeria opened just five years ago in 2009. But it’s hard to argue that it’s not already classic. Where else in Atlanta do patrons line up out the door to place an order, only to have to jostle for a seat at a communal table once inside? The pizza must be worth it, but it’s not just about the food: the music, the madness on view in the kitchen, the monstrous set of wood fired ovens— it’s all part of what makes Antico so synonymous with pizza in this city.

2) FELLINI’S

From ZAGAT.com: “Darn good”, “proper thin-crust” pies are the lure at this New York–style pizzeria chain where the tabs are “affordable”, the beer “cold” and the mood “pleasantly funky”; “sticky”, “no-frills” decor gets a boost from “fabulous outdoor patios” where the “people-watching” includes a mix of “families”, “hipsters” and “night owls” – who “love the late hours.”

3) EVERYBODY’S PIZZA

Yeah, I know, it’s gone now… BUT IT STILL DESERVE’S TO BE ON THIS LIST!

4) SAPORI DI NAPOLI

From their website: Sapori di Napoli aims to transport each of its guests to the rustic family courtyard in Agerola. So for anyone who has or wishes to travel to Italy to: eat the way Italians eat, to drink the way Italians drink, and to enjoy the way Italians enjoy, Sapori di Napoli invites you to 314 Church Street to experience “Agerola Sunday” every day of the week.

5) VARASANO’S

From their website: One of the ‘Elite 8′ Pizzerias in the US by Every Day with Rachael Ray, Best Pizza in Atlanta 2013 in both Atlanta Journal Constitution &
Jezebel Magazine.

Buckhead resident and world-renowned pizza authority, Jeff Varasano, opened his first pizzeria in Atlanta in March 2009. Over the past few years, Varasano’s website, www.varasanos.com, has attracted international attention and a cult following as the most accurate and extensive source of information about gourmet pizza on the web. There are currently over 2000 links to Varasano’s recipe making it Google’s favorite place for how to make pizza – not bad for a guy who started out making English muffin pizzas in his toaster oven!

Originally from the Bronx, Varasano moved to Atlanta in 1998, and soon realized the style of pizza he was accustomed to finding at every turn was not to be found in the Atlanta area. For a man with pizza in his blood, this just would not do. So he set out to perfect his favorite New York pie from Patsy’s in East Harlem. The ten year odyssey included traveling to the world’s best pizzerias, experimenting with countless varieties of flour, sourdough cultures, cheese, tomatoes and temperature control techniques, pushing household appliances beyond their limits, and visiting flour millers and oven manufacturers in the US and Europe. Varasano has studied everything from bread making to thermodynamics in his quest to craft the perfect pie. His journey has resulted in the destruction of several household appliances, a wealth of information available on his website, and the creation of an incredible piece of food,Varasano’s Pizza. Each of these airy light creations is topped with a perfect balance of traditional Italian ingredients and crisped to perfection at 800 degrees.

Local and international food and wine buffs, including legendary chef Patrick Terrail and food anthropologist Deb Duchon, who’ve been lucky enough to swing invitations to Varasano’s frequent pizza tastings, held at his home in Buckhead, are gushing over his creations, comparing him to Chris Bianco of Bianco’s Pizzeria in Phoenix, AZ and Anthony Mangieri of Una Pizza Napoletana in NYC. On the menu at these tastings are old favorites like the Margherita and New Haven style clam, as well as many of Varasano’s own creations. Of his internet fame, Varasano says, “It’s amazing. People I’ve never met have been flying to Atlanta for my dinner parties. It would take six months of weekly tastings to get through the waiting list.”

“I’ve put a lot of time and thought into what makes a pizza memorable,” says Varasano, “and I want everyone to experience world class pizza.”